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  Birthday Cake - Lychee Ombre Cake (makes one 7" 5 layer cake)   Ingredients   Cake 250g cake flour 2.5 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp sea salt 135g unsalted butter 220g caster sugar 3 egg whites 225g fresh milk 1 tsp lychee essence Wilton gel colour - yellow, orange, pink Fresh Cream Frosting (with excess) Crumb coat 500g dairy whipping cream 50g snow powder 50g mascarpone cheese Frosting 500g dairy whipping cream 100g snow powder 100g mascarpone cheese Steps Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line baking pans with parchment paper. Alternatively, evenly coat the pan with butter, dust with flour and tap away excess flour. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Cream unsalted butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy. Add egg whites gradually. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the fresh milk. Add lychee essence. Divide batter into 5 bowls (total weight of batter about 930g, divided into about 175g per bowl). Tint the batter using a ...

   Birthday Barbie - Mini Birthday Cakes   Level: Easy Total: 1 hr 3 min Prep: 25 min Inactive: 20 min Cook: 18 min Yield: 10 to 12 cakes   Ingredients  1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus softened butter for liners  2/3 cup granulated sugar  3 large eggs  1 teaspoon vanilla extract  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  1/4 teaspoon salt  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder  1/4 cup whole milk For frosting:  2 cups confectioners' sugar  1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened  1 teaspoon pink food coloring  2 tablespoons heavy cream  1/2 cup coloured granulated sugar, for decoration   Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin and brush the liners with butter. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. In a separate bowl mix together flour, ...

   Birthday Sheet Cake   • Level: Intermediate • Total: 45 min • Prep: 15 min • Cook: 30 min • Yield: 1 (12x18-inch) cake     Ingredients   For the cake:   18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature   3 cups sugar   6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature   8 ounces (about 1 cup) of sour cream, at room temperature   1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract   1 lemon, zested   3 cups all-purpose flour   1/3 cup cornstarch   1 teaspoon kosher salt   1 teaspoon baking soda For the frosting:   24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips   1 1/2 cups heavy cream   2 tablespoons light corn syrup   1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract   4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature   Chocolate candies for decorating (recommended: M&M's)     Directions   1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan...

   Happy birthday cake - Vanilla Rhubarb Cake   Makes one 2 layer 6-inch cake   Ingredients:   Cake:   1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp) 1/2 tsp sea salt 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp golden ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 minutes) 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil 1/2 cup plant-based milk 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 cup 1/2 inch cut rhubarb pieces     Frosting:   1 1/2 cups butter, I used Earth Balance (at room temperature) 3-4 Tbsp oat milk (I used Oatly, but you can use what you prefer), add 3 then if needed add another if the frosting comes out too stiff 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract 4 cups powdered sugar  food colouring (optional)     Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the sides and line two 6-inch round cake pan...

   Birthday Cake - Marble Birthday Cake   Makes one 2 layer 6-inch cake   Ingredients:   Cake:   1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp) 1/2 tsp sea salt 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp golden ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 minutes) 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil 1/2 cup plant-based milk 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract 2 Tbsp cacao powder     Frosting:   1 1/2 cups butter, I used Earth Balance (at room temperature) 3-4 Tbsp oat milk (I used Oatly, but you can use what you prefer), add 3 then if needed add another if the frosting comes out too stiff 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract 4 cups powdered sugar vegan food colouring (optional)     Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the sides and line two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment pap...

BIRTHDAY OF NELSON MANDELA THURSDAY, JULY 18 He was a fighter for freedom and self-determination: the civil rights activist and politician Nelson Mandela was born 106 years ago today, on July 18, 1918, in South Africa. 26 years in prison Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 during the racist apartheid regime. As one of the leaders of the African National Congress (ANC), he actively protested against the policy of racial segregation and demanded self-determination for South Africans. Mandela remained in prison for 26 years, unyielding and unwilling to give up his political demands in exchange for early release. Mandela's release from prison in 1990, which came under pressure from the black population and the world public, marked the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa. The years after In the years that followed, Mandela worked with the white South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk to prepare the peaceful end of apartheid. Both received t...